This week Jean and Katrina make Rain Music using the song “Rain Rain Go Away” and Beka shows how to draw the contour of the music in the air. This activity is great to help visualise and analyse the melody, and Rain Rain is a perfect song to do it, because of it’s simplicity (it has only three notes). You may like to try it with some other songs, the Willie Wagtail is also a great song to choose as it also has three notes. Beka discovers that sticks from the garden can make fine claves and children are invited to keep the beat with the song One Two Tie My Shoe. Anja shows us how to make a Willie Wagtail in today’s craft session using origami to fold the tail, and Katrina and jean make ghosts with a tissue, and play Ghosts. The Oooooooooh sound they make is perfect to help kids find their singing voice, so we hope you hear some ghost sounds in your home this week! We see how Anja’s peas are growing and Beka and Anja perform Old McDonald. Of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

Chicken plans a shaker dance with friends, Jean and Greg play some Irish music for everyone to dance to on the violin and the bodhran. We encourage the children to play with different voices, Beka shows us her crazy chipmunk voice, and Anja shows off her pet flea. Anja and Beka show you how to make different types of shakers at home so you can join in the dancing. Of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

This week Chicken and Anja play the instrument name guessing game again, Beka and Jean play Pop goes the Weasel and Jean makes a sound map game outside on the footpath with chalk. Anja shows the children more Origami, developing fine motor skills, and Jean shows us her metronome and how musicians use one. Anja reads the noisy cricket story by Arnold Lobel from his book “Mouse Soup” and the children are invited to join in with an instrument from around the house. Of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

This week there’s Pop goes the Weasel by special request. Beka sings an Owl song and asks the children to sing with her. Jean makes owls to sing with from cardboard tubes because children are often less self conscious when singing through a puppet. Katrina and Jean play a song full of Elephants and decrescendos. The children are invited to join us with drums and cardboard boxes. Jean reads a classic story by Arnold Lobel from his book “Mouse Soup” about noisy crickets we make some music to go with it. Anja uses seashells she found at the beach to make a rhythm game reading crotchets and quavers, and Jean and Beka play Bears and Bunnies. Of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

This week Jean Jean plays the "wrong note game” with her cat 🎶 😺 . Beka and Jean keep the beat to the beautiful Celtic traditional song "Will you Go lassie Go" that we sang in the Family Sing session this week. Anja shows us more origami to help the children with their fine motor skills. These get sequentially harder so if your child is having difficulty, start with the first one which is the simple house. (https://youtu.be/iAvYJLbFse4) Jean draws shapes on the footpath to sing, because making sliding sounds with your voice is a great way to help kids find their singing voices and introduces the idea that high and low sound can be shown with symbols. Anja shows her seedlings, which we've been watching and she talks about how our ability to do a skill is like a seed. It takes time, and the right environment and then the ability grows. This is a core principle of Suzuki learning. Of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

Jean draws a new chalk pavement game to sing while you walk the beat. Beka and Jean sing Michael Finnegan. Katrina shows us how to make an instrument from a comb and piece of greaseproof paper. Anja rescues sea stars stranded after a particularly low tide, and of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

Anja shows us a new poem about snowmen, and a more challenging origami house to make. There are signs of Spring everywhere and we find bees and snails in the garden and sing about them. Beka and Jean play cowgirls. Jean plays her violin and reads a story about the power of music, and of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria. Today's craft activity uses coloured square paper.

It's been a windy week, so we sing about the wind. It's been cold too. Jean wants to be in the snow, instead of at home so she builds a snowman in her imagination and teaches us a new snowman song. Anja shows us how to play a musical hopscotch song. We'll go for an exercise walk today and draw it outside the Playground, if you'd live nearby you can come by and have a go on your exercise walk too. Anja shows the children how to make a very simple origami house, because origami is such a great way to develop fine motor skills. Beka and Anja start to plant things, because it will be Spring soon and of course there's lots more playful singing, dancing and instruments, because children learn best when they're having fun. Group activities in today’s episode were made prior to the current lockdown in Victoria.

Katrina, Anja and Karen practise keeping the beat making their bears dance, Pinkie and Jean practise sliding sounds to help find their singing voices, We sing some wintery songs. Jean teaches us a new winter song about the wind and Anja shows us how to make a rainstick using things around the house (cardboard tube, aluminum foil, rubber band and baking paper). Chicken helps in a concert and we show the children how to make a beat map of the Willie Wagtail song.